Trinidad and Tobago needs workers for jobs

Island nation seeks former residents

South Florida immigrants from Trinidad and Tobago soon may want to head back to the oil- and gas-producing nation that is becoming a hub for energy-based development.

Prakash Saith, president of the National Energy Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago Limited, urged ex-pats to apply for jobs emerging from the country's energy sector, during a recent event at the Fort Lauderdale African-American Research Library and Cultural Center.

"[Trinidad and Tobago] has developed a model for monetizing natural gas," said Saith, who has given presentations in Dubai, Canada and Nova Scotia about economic opportunities in Trinidad and Tobago.

Saith was the guest speaker at the gathering, sponsored by the Diaspora of Trinidad and Tobago, that drew more than 100 people. The talk also was a social event for the organization that hopes to bring together Trinidadians and Tobagonians worldwide.

The country of about 1 million is the world's leading exporter of methanol and ammonia and the leading exporter of liquified natural gas to the United States, Saith said. It has a growing trade surplus and its economic growth reached 5.5 percent last year.

Trinidad and Tobago is exploring energy-based projects, such as investment in ammonia and metal processing, and a local plastics industry. The nation needs people to fill a variety of positions including pier engineers, designers and surveyors.

"We are finding it very difficult to get people," Saith said. "We cannot get qualified people."

Jeanette Haynes, who now lives in Plantation, came to the United States about 26 years ago from Trinidad and Tobago. Although the economy is booming, she said it will be hard for immigrants in the United States to return.

"Your support system now is over here," she said. Haynes said she has three grandchildren who need her support.

Time ran short at the event and technical difficulties meant Saith could not show slides during his presentation. Many people also were unaware of the topic beforehand, so Saith was invited to return in late April to continue the dialogue, said Kamal Abdool, vice president of the Diaspora of Trinidad and Tobago.

The group, which has about 1,000 members, formed about a year ago. The organization is now headquartered in South Florida but hopes to open additional chapters in the United States and abroad to include England, Australia and Canada.

There are about 5,050 residents from Trinidad and Tobago in Broward County, more than 1,150 in Palm Beach County and about 3,600 in Miami-Dade County, according to 2006 U.S. Census Bureau figures. "We are a presence in South Florida," said Andy Ansola president of Diaspora of Trinidad and Tobago. "It's a privilege for us to be here."

The organization's event was good because it brought people together, said Marlon John, of Pembroke Park. John, originally from Trinidad and Tobago, has lived in South Florida for about five years.

For information about the Diaspora of Trinidad and Tobago, call Abdool at 561-376-7251 or Ansola at 954-274-7233.